The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling strip-like media such as currency notes, plastic cards and other deformable documents, and is particularly directed to an apparatus for transferring documents such as paper money or other paper or plastic strip-like media from an exit opening of a transporting device to a temporary storage area or cash box where stacking is required for maximum utilization of volume. Such an apparatus is used, for example, in fareboxes on public transportation systems, in change machines, and in other types of vending and media handling machines.
In public transportation systems a farebox will normally be located on the transport vehicle for receiving money or other payment media deposited by passengers in payment of fares. Such fareboxes may be designed for monitoring by the vehicle operator or may be designed to be fully automatic and provide the passenger with the appropriate farecard or ticket once the appropriate fare has been deposited. The farebox normally incorporates a coin module for receipt of money in the form of coins, and a bill module for receipt of money in the form of bills. The bill and coin modules transport the money for deposit in a suitable cashbox, also contained within the farebox, and may include detector systems for detecting the denomination of the deposited cash.
One problem in handling deformable strip-like media such as paper bills, notes, plastic cards, and the like in this fashion is that it is often torn, wrinkled, folded or rolled or bent prior to deposit in the farebox bill module inlet. Such deformations will be retained in the note or other strip-like element, and once it is deposited by means of gravity into the cashbox it will tend to revert to its crumpled, bent or folded shape, irrespective of any transformation that may be imposed on the media during its travel through the transporting device, with further deterioration in cases where the media transfer from transport module to cashbox is by powered rollers or belts. A cashbox will reach capacity relatively quickly and the system will have to be taken out of operation until the cashbox can be removed for emptying. This results in frequent servicing of the machine, and the farebox will often be out of order during normal transport operations. This is particularly so in cases where the media is inserted into the machine by the general public where repeated handling of bills or tickets will result in no two inserted configurations being the same.